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Minnesota Aeros vs Detroit Red Wings: Game 79

By BReynolds

Minnesota_wild_logo_medium 300px-detroit_red_wings_logo

Minnesota Aeros (37-33-8) vs Detroit Red Wings (45-23-10)

Joe Louis Arena @ 4:00 PM CDT Television: FSN (HD)
Listen live on Wild.com, or locally at WCCO.com

For the Detroit perspective, check out Winging It In Motown

Minnesota Aeros
 Detroit Red Wings

Andrew Brunette - Mikko Koivu - Antti Miettinen
Pierre-Marc Bouchard - Kyle Brodziak - Cal Clutterbuck
Brad Staubitz - Eric Nystrom - Colton Gillies
Matt Cullen - Carson McMillan - Chuck Kobasew

Maxim Noreau - Greg Zanon
Justin Falk -Brent Burns
Jared Spurgeon - Clayton Stoner

Jose Theodore
Niklas Backstrom

Danny Cleary - Pavel Datsyuk - Henrik Zetterberg
Johan Franzen - Mike Modano - Tomas Holmstrom
Jiri Hudler - Valtteri Filppula - Todd Bertuzzi
Kris Draper - Darren Helm - Patrick Eaves

Nicklas Lidstrom - Brad Stuart
Ruslan Salei - Jonathan Ericsson
Jakub Kindl - Brian Rafalski

Jimmy Howard
Joey MacDonald

This game officially means nothing. To anyone. The Wild have officially been eliminated from the playoffs, the Wings are officially in the playoffs, and no one in Minnesota officially cares anymore. The Twins have started up, though they aren't starting very well, the Swarm are in the playoffs, and Spring has sprung. The Wild, and their lack of anything meaningful to play for are now in the rear view mirror.

The Wild aren't even really the Wild. With four call ups in the lineup, that gives the "Wild" six rookies in the lineup, including four on the blue line. With that in mind, Pavel Datsyuk returns for the Wings tonight. Great news, right? Good thing the Aeros have their playoff spot locked up.

No sense beating around the bush on this one. The Wild are going to get absolutely crushed. The only thing that might make it respectable would be if the Wings find it in their hearts to go easy on the poor guys. Truly it is impossible to find the keys to victory on this one, as there are no keys to victory, only keys to not getting hurt in the process.

It's a painful truth, but it is the truth. Sorry about that.

Six rookies in the line up, four called up in the past two days, an NHL debut... it has the makings for a fairy tale. It also has the makings of a horror show. With the way the Wild have been playing lately, which one do you think is more likely?

This one and three more to go. Russo is in Detroit. The least you can do is suffer along with him. Enjoy.

Five Questions:

  1. Carson McMillan makes his debut. How does the kid look?
  2. Will the two veterans left on the blue line, you know, play like it?
  3. How does Colton Gillies look in his first trip up this year?
  4. Can the Wild Aeros hold Datsyuk to less than four points?
  5. How embarrassing is it?

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